Type-writing machine.



c. SCHL'U'NS.

' TYPE WRITING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6. I915.

1,199,824. Patented Oct. 3,1916.

. [nverzion wlflf/lw' I vbacks, and the consequent necessary cor- CARL SCI-IL'U'N S, OF MEI-ILIS, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO MERCEDES BUREAU-MASCHINEN- GES. M. B. 131., OF MEHLIS, GERMANY, A FIRM.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL SoHLfiNs, a subject of the German Emperor, and resid-. ing at Mehlis, in Thuringia, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-l/Vriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Known, mechanically driven typewriting machines suffer from the disadvantage, that the mechanical drive operates directly on the key-levers or is coupled with them, so that the mechanical drive, instead of the hoped for advancement in the art, only had disadvantages through this arrangement. For instance, the slightest touch of a keylever will immediately make a coupling with the mechanical drive, whereupon the latter at once draws the key-lever from under the operators finger, this being apt to cause not only a feeling of uncertainty during manipulation, but also a touch with a neighboring key-lever from the involuntarily continued downward movement of the finger so that, as a consequence, an untimely coupling or perhaps even damage may follow. The gain in reduction of power obtained by the mechanical drive would be counterbal anced many times by these unpleasant drawrection, rewriting, etc. To this should be added that a person after the first slightest touch on the key-lever has no further influence and control thereof, that furthermore the keys kick back and-that in general an operation free from shock cannot be attained. Lastly, aslow writing, as for instance, for a beginner is impossible. These inconveniences are all removed in the present invention.

My invention now resides in the insertion between the type-bar and the key-lever of an intermediary member, which, upon the actuating of the key-lever becomes connected with the mechanical drive, whereupon, after the consequent action, the connection between the intermediary member and the keylever is automatically broken, so that by the removal of the operators finger and the ensuing pressure of the type-bar against the platen, the-connection becomes reestablished between the intermediary member and the key-lever.

A further feature of this invention consists therein that the rotation of the revolving shaft is not started too suddenly by the intermediary member, but is gradually increased so that a shock-free operation is attained.

Lastly, the revolving shaft is so constructed in accordance with the principle of the Mercedes typewriter, that the exchange of the type-frame is possible.

The enumerated features of this invent1on present the following advantages: The intermediary member prevents a too sudden uncontrolled coupling of the mechanical drive from the slightest touch of any one of the key-levers, while the subsequent coupling of the intermediary member with the mechanical drive automatically breaks the connection of the former with the key-lever. This makes it possible for the operator to retain his fingers on the key-levers until the completion of the downward motion, without influencing the machine, so that the difference between the operation of this writing-machine as regards previously known ones only resides in that the force required to strike the keys has been limited to a minimum.

In the accompanying drawing, one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated.

Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section through the type-lever frame; Fig. 2, a transverse section through the cast portions of the outer machine casing and the typelever frame and Fig. 3, a section of a portion of a detail.

Referring now to the drawing. 1 represents a shaft which is continuously rotated in the direction of the hands of a clock, and

reaches across the machine and has preferably the cross section shown in Fig. 3. The key lever 2 is oscillatable around a point 3. A right-angled link 1 is journaled on a pin 5 on each key-lever 2 and has at its right hand end an oblong hole engaging around a pin 7 provided on the key-lever. The link -L may consequently be oscillated around pin 5 an amount that is limited by'the hole (3, and the pin 7. The uprigl'it portion of the link i is provided with a hook 8, which grips over a nose 9 on the tension rod 10, so that on pressing the key-lever 2, the intermediary member or the tension rod 10 will be drawn downwardly, whereupon the toe 11 on the underside of the tension rod 10 will get into the path of the rapid rotating shaft 1. This shaft now grips the toe 11 with its eccen- 3 messes tric projection 21, thereby throwing the ten-V .disengaged from the hook 8 and lifted by the spring 14, which draws upward in a rearward direction, so that the toe 11 cannot be affected by the continuous turning of shaft 1, no matter how long the key-lever 2 remains depressed. Only on the release,

' of the latter will the hook 8 again engage with the nose 9 so that a new depression of the key-lever will cause a new stroke of the type-bar. The spring 14 returns the parts 10, 12, 13 into their positions of rest after each completed action.

The shaft 1 is preferably given such a cross section, that the transmission of'movement from it to the toe 11 takes place by gradual acceleration. This is accomplished, for instance, by giving the projection 21 the cross section best shown in Fig. 3, so that the forward curve of the projection 21 is made to roll off the straight edge 22 of the toe 11. The same may, however, be accomplished by any other suitable means, as for instance, by constructing the shaft so that the curved projection 21 is repeated two or more times around the circumference of the shaft, whereby even a short striking of a key-lever would insure the engagement of the toe 11 by one of the curved projections, independent of what rotating angle the shaft 1 has at the moment a key is struck.

The dove-tailed lower portions 15 of the type frame 16 engage in suitable guides 17 of the-outer machine casing 18, so that the type frame is, in known manner, made interchangeable. The shaft 1 is interrupted at one end so that one portion thereof, which is contained in the type frame may be removed with the latter. A coupling 19 of any suitable kind connects it with that portion of the shaft which receives its rotation at its outer end, by means of a belt pulley 20 for instance. The mechanical drive of the shaft 1 may also be accomplished by a motor coupled directly to the shaft or through any other suitable driving means.

I claim 1. In a typewriting machine having an independently driven shaft, a key-lever and a type bar; an intermediary member having driving connection with the type bar and interruptive connection with the key-lever through which the key-lever is adapted to present said intermediary member into position for coaction of said shaft; said shaft being "provided with a cam and the inter mediary member with a lug adapted to engage with said cam in order to impart a throw to the intermediary member when so presented, said intermediary member interrupting its connection with the key-lever by its throw.

2. In a typewriting machine having an independently driven shaft, a key-lever and a type bar; an intermediary member having connection with the type bar and with the key-lever; said shaft being provided with a cam surface for actuating said intermediary member upon said intermediary member being presented for engagement therewith by the depression of the key-lever, the action of said cam surface upon the intermediary member causing the interruption of the connection between the intermediary member and its key-lever.

3. In a typewriting machine having an independently driven shaft, a key-lever and a type bar; an intermediary member having connection with the type bar and with the key-lever; said shaft being provided with a cam surface for actuating said in termediary member upon said intermediary member being presented for engagement therewith by the depression of the key-lever, the action of said cam surface upon the intermediary member causing the interruption of the connection between the intermediary member and its key-lever, the connection with said member being automatically reestablished upon the release of said keylever.

4. In a typewriting machine having an independently driven shaft, a key-lever and a type bar; an intermediary member having driving connection with the type bar and interruptive connection with the key-lever through which the key-lever is adapted to present said intermediary member into position for coaction of said shaft; said shaft being adapted to impart or throw to the intermediary member when so presented, and

said intermediary member interrupting its connection with the key-lever by its throw, and means for causing a gradually accelerated movement of said intermediary member upon its engagement with said projection.

5. In a typewriting machine having an independently driven shaft, a key-lever and a type bar; an intermediary member having driving connection with the type bar and interruptive connection with the key-lever through which the key-lever is adapted to present said intermediary member into position for coaction of said shaft; said shaft being adapted to impart or throw to the intermediary member when so presented, and said intermediary member interrupting its connection with the key-lever by its throw, and means for causing a gradually accelerated movement of saidintermediary member upon its engagement with said projection, said means comprising a straight faced toe on said member and a convex side on said cam surface cooperating with said toe.

6. In a typewriting machine having an independently driven shaft, a key-lever and a type bar; an intermediary member having driving connection with the type bar, and provided with a toe and a ledge, a spring tending to hold the member in inactive position, a rocking lever connected with said key-lever and provided with a hook for normally coacting with said ledge; a convex projection on said shaft kept in engagement with said ledge by the action of said spring, whereby, upon the key being depressed, said toe will be brought into the path of said projection, causing the displacement of said member thus actuating the type bar and the disengagement of said ledge from said hook, while upon the subsequent release ofthe key-lever, the engagement between the ledge and said hook is immediately reestablished.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CARL SCHLI TNS. 

